Professional chef Andrew Zimmern explains how to choose various cuts of high-quality meats.
- Many people think butcher shops are more expensive than the grocery store, but you can save quite a bit at the butcher. Be sure to compare prices.
- Quality grades of meat are based on the texture, firmness and color of meat, age or maturity of the animal and the marbling of fat within the meat cut. The different types of meat cuts are as follows: select, choice and prime.
- The color of beef must be cherry red or a healthy pink color. When purchasing white meat such as rabbit or poultry, the flesh must appear milky white but not polish white.
- The texture of meat should be tender. If it is rough, it means that the animal was stressed or too old when butchered.
- Why are meats cut in certain ways? The cut of meat is based upon muscle and bone structure of the meat and the purpose of its future cooking methods. It also maximizes tenderness.
- Rib-eyes, T-bones, porterhouses, New York strips, and tenderloins are all from two muscles called the L-Dorsi and Psoas.
- Top rounds and flats used for corned beef and pastrami come from the top of the hind leg.
- The lower in fat and leaner cuts that are found in various types of red meat are the following:
- beef--roast top or bottom round
- veal--cutlets inside leg slices or rounds
- pork--lean tenderloin, trimmed pork loin
- lamb--rib or loin chop
- Rib-eye, New York strip, top sirloin, tenderloin sirloin tip, rolled rib roast and standing rib are all steak and roast type of meat cuts.
- Pork bellies are used for bacon.
- Beef that is aged between 14 to 30 days is better tasting because connective tissue breaks down, which makes the meat more tender.
- Marinate meat in a flavored vinegar to tenderize it, or use a method call jacquarding, which is way to mechanically tenderize meat. Jacquarded meat has been pierced by a machine, but a way to jacquard meat at home is to pierce it with a fork before marinating or rubbing with spices. You can also purchase meat that has been jacquarded from most butcher shops.
Guests Andrew Zimmern
Professional Chef and Culinary Expert, Food Works Inc.
1116 Raymond Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone: 651-335-7456
E-mail:
chefaz@visi.com
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